Apple is killing me lately. I’m no fanboy by any means, but over the past few years, I’ve been pleased to see their rise from the ashes. A decade ago, I graduated from a Mac college into a world of Windows 3.11 and 95.
What a shock. The business world ran Windows, not Apple. The most workable version at the time was NT because it protected the kernel from bad stuff, like software and hardware. I always felt that Apple had a superior O/S, and until recently, maybe up to XP, they did.
Today is obviously a different world entirely. The broad consumer approach of the iPod has rejuvenated the company across all its product lines, and Steve Jobs can do no wrong.
Not. Those who read this blog know I own an iPhone, as does my wife. We are both early adopters. This week, my wife’s iPhone suffered a gravitational accident, i.e. she dropped it, hard. You’ll have that with handheld devices. The result is similar to Kevin Rose’s iPhone, the glass is cracked, but the unit is still functional.
So, she called Apple support, and basically, apparently, the “repair” process is essentially buy a new one for $250. She’ll get the $49 repeat purchaser discount, assuming they have a 4GB model in stock. The 4GB is being discontinued. I wonder what happens if they can’t get a hold of one of those. Probably hosed then.
I am Jake’s boiling rage. I haven’t gone to the Apple store yet, but let’s assume based on recent behavior they won’t deviate from this policy. Here’s a list of other ways that Apple has turned its back on loyal customers lately.
- The iPhone price cut and subsequent $100 store credit. The way I see it, Jobs still owes me $200 for my iPhones. I am not alone.
- The iTunes ringtone double-pay scam. Pay $0.99 for a song, then another $0.99 for a ringtone of the song, even if you’re already bought the song.
- The battery elephant in the room. This one has gone away for a while, but it will be back when our batteries still to die.
- The bricking of unlocked iPhones. Some Mac Geniuses are reportedly fighting the power on this one.
The bricking thing is bound to get the at large hacking community into a tizzy. Apple (i.e. Jobs) should have found another way. Didn’t he get the memo from Digg? Remember the HD-DVD decryption key fiasco? Even further back, anyone remember the war DirecTV/Hughes waged with hackers?
Update: A user called KeeptheiPhoneFree has produced an ironic “tribute” (via Engadget) to those who think differently, remember that Apple ad campaign?
Another Update: My wife reminded me of the issues we had with iPod Minis when they were introduced. The sound became very choppy and full of static after very light use. We were told that the little guy was out of warranty and a repair would cost close to $100. We eventually talked them into a replacement, since the warranty had recently expired, but the replacement had the same issue within days. Incidentally, they were both blue and the subsequent (other colored) ones were fine for a while. They eventually died for no apparently reason, leading me to question Apple’s very anti-green policies, i.e. by making the repair cost such a high percentage of the cost of a new model, they are encouraging waste and promoting a throw-away attitude. Apple has been criticized for its lack of greenness in the past.
You know who drives all these audacious, autocratic decisions. Steve Jobs drives that bus, and lately, he’ll throw just about anyone under it–customers, former executives, early adopters, fanboys, you. Let’s not forget Jobs and options backdating scandal. Personally, I don’t think that’s going away anytime soon.
So, what happened here? Apple used to be known for its human side. Maybe that’s just in comparison with Microsoft, but still. Lately, they’re rolling roughshod over everyone. Jobs seems to think he’s immune from any criticism. Witness his initial stonewalling of the faithful who bought full-price iPhones.
I don’t see this trend toward audacity going well for Apple and Jobs in the next 12-18 months. Mark my words, A will stand for apologetic soon.
Final Update: As with anything Apple, the backlash is spreading across the Interwebs. I found this collection of Apple hate-posts from BFF via Twitter.
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